Levidrome vs Semordnilap
Some people say a word already exists to fit the definition of a word with a new definition when the spelling is reversed.
And that word is Semordnilap.
I am not a linguist but rather a systems specialist, so I am a very logical type of person.
Let's look at this logically.
Semordnilap is the spelling of palindromes backwards. I would have to ask, why semordnilap? Why not emordnilap? After all, emordnilap is palindrome spelled backwards.
However, if it is emordnilap, then how do you handle one of the word families, palindromes plural? Would it be emordnilaps? But then that would be spalindrome in reverse, which makes no sense at all.
Ditto for the proposed semordnilap. What would be the plural for that? Semordnilaps? Again spalindromes backwards.
I think you get my meaning. The reversal of palindrome or palindromes is cute, but doesn't make sense to the rest of the word families.
And which one to choose? Semordnilip or Emordnilap?
There are entire word families which would need to be considered when a new word is introduced.
The word families for palindrome are:
- palindrome
- palindromes
- palindrome's
- palindromist
- palindromists
- palindromist's
- palindromic
- palindromical
- palindromically
In our previous article, we mentioned that semordnilap has been around since at least 1961. That is over 60 years. However, it has not sat well with linguists or the dictionaries. If it had, there would be more support for the word and it would already be accepted.
Palindrome is established. It is a well known word and a recognized dictionary definition.
Sure, if you reverse palindromes, you get semordnilap. If we reverse sentences, we get secnetnes. Again, pretty cool, so I would propose if we have a sentence spelled backwards, it should be Secnetnes? Of course not!
If we reverse Word, it becomes drow. Absolutely silly!
Every levidrome is a palindrome, but not every palindrome is a levidrome.
Since a levidrome is a special type of palindrome, it should have part of the word palindrome in it. A palindrome by defintion has the same spelling when reversed, so reversing the word itself provides no additional meaning.
The word should include either palin or drome.
Levi Budd suggested the word levidrome which had the drome part of palindrome.
He could have easily suggested Buddidrome. Other options would have included Palibudd.
Levidrome has a unique ring to it. A lot better than palindrome spelled backwards.
Let's make this happen people. Levidrome.